Bear was recently put through a battery of developmental tests by a professional in our home. We'll be getting the results back in a while.
The thing that really floored me was that the tester had to come back for another visit to finish the cognitive testing section because, to quote, "he surpassed all of the tests she had with her." I was there for the whole testing process and there wasn't one test she gave that he couldn't have done if he had wanted to cooperate (instead of grinning and intentionally giving the wrong answer...). She told me that the tests she was giving him near the end were normally used with 4 and 5 year olds. He is two years and ten months... I mean we knew he was smart, but this? Really?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wolf got his Little Dragons Yellow Belt!
He has been wanting this since he first started martial arts in October. The testing was so much fun to watch. I don't think any of the Little Dragons are older than maybe seven? Watching all of them following instructions and doing their form was so cute. Wolf even got to break a board and got it on the second try, a huge improvement from his first attempt at breaking a board where the instructors had him do everything they could think of for him to manage to break it. The lessons are helping Wolf so much with his concentration and respect. Compared to the other white belts testing he was definitely the most focused and that was really nice to see.
For those who are wondering the Little Dragons program is martial arts for little kids. All belt levels work on the same form and the same skills, it's all just an issue of learning focus and the basic moves. They are expected to come to class twice a week and not expected to practice at home or to memorize the form or self-defense combos. They level in the same way that the older kids do, but their belts have a white stripe in the middle. What happens when they are ready to move up to the big kids classes is that whatever belt they are at their next test gets them a white belt with a yellow stripe (instead of starting with a white belt) then they level up with full colored belts from then on starting with yellow. Basically they are a yellow belt twice, once in the Dragons and once when they get to the older kids classes.
For those who are wondering the Little Dragons program is martial arts for little kids. All belt levels work on the same form and the same skills, it's all just an issue of learning focus and the basic moves. They are expected to come to class twice a week and not expected to practice at home or to memorize the form or self-defense combos. They level in the same way that the older kids do, but their belts have a white stripe in the middle. What happens when they are ready to move up to the big kids classes is that whatever belt they are at their next test gets them a white belt with a yellow stripe (instead of starting with a white belt) then they level up with full colored belts from then on starting with yellow. Basically they are a yellow belt twice, once in the Dragons and once when they get to the older kids classes.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Winner NaNoWriMo 2009
I made the deadline with a little over 50,000 words. Not only that, but I actually finished the story. I'm quite pleased with myself. I would have felt pretty silly if Wolf had finished his and I didn't finish mine!
The simple things that make me happy
The Saturday after Thanksgiving we went with family to some land that they own. It is basically on the left hand side of no where, which is nothing but a very positive comment actually. The drive there was gorgeous, through narrow canyons, past abandoned mine sites and right next to cows. Literally right next to, no fences, just cows hanging out at the side of the narrow winding road.
We stopped at the last restroom before we got there. It was a little general store/restaurant in an old school house. It was getting very cold out and the place was not very well heated.... well at least the bathroom wasn't.
We got back into the cars and drove the last stretch to our destination. Our little prius was the tail end of a train of four SUV's going at break neck speed on tiny very curvy roads. Did I mention someone made the mistake of giving me access to a walkie talkie? As we were driving it started to rain and then then rain started to slush and then it started to snow!!! For those of you who don't know I LOVE the snow, rarely get to see it and Bear had never seen it. The first thing I do is start hoping and wishing that enough falls for it to stick so that I can make snowballs.
(As a side note, I am the person who said it would never rain in July of course causing it to and who went camping in the winter and begged the universe for snow after which it snowed enough to cave the tent in on Dragon twice before he retreated to the van.)
Needless to say it REALLY started snowing. It was beautiful. Oak trees, fallen trees, golden grass, rolling hills, all of it slowly getting coated by silent whiteness. The flakes were like chunks of cotton candy. You could actually look at them and see all the intricate ice crystals, but they looked so soft.
Wolf was out and hesitantly playing in it and eventually Bear woke up and was convinced to come out and join all of us. It did snow enough to make snowballs, admittedly sort of sad ones, but snowballs none the less as long as you avoided the cow pies. The boys got into that for a little while.
One of the cousins picked some mistletoe and another came back with the lower jaw of a cow which was a big hit. In fact it prompted Bear to tell one of the relatives that hadn't gone all about finding a dead seal and a dead bird on one of our field trips when asked what he saw on this trip!
We stopped at the last restroom before we got there. It was a little general store/restaurant in an old school house. It was getting very cold out and the place was not very well heated.... well at least the bathroom wasn't.
We got back into the cars and drove the last stretch to our destination. Our little prius was the tail end of a train of four SUV's going at break neck speed on tiny very curvy roads. Did I mention someone made the mistake of giving me access to a walkie talkie? As we were driving it started to rain and then then rain started to slush and then it started to snow!!! For those of you who don't know I LOVE the snow, rarely get to see it and Bear had never seen it. The first thing I do is start hoping and wishing that enough falls for it to stick so that I can make snowballs.
(As a side note, I am the person who said it would never rain in July of course causing it to and who went camping in the winter and begged the universe for snow after which it snowed enough to cave the tent in on Dragon twice before he retreated to the van.)
Needless to say it REALLY started snowing. It was beautiful. Oak trees, fallen trees, golden grass, rolling hills, all of it slowly getting coated by silent whiteness. The flakes were like chunks of cotton candy. You could actually look at them and see all the intricate ice crystals, but they looked so soft.
Wolf was out and hesitantly playing in it and eventually Bear woke up and was convinced to come out and join all of us. It did snow enough to make snowballs, admittedly sort of sad ones, but snowballs none the less as long as you avoided the cow pies. The boys got into that for a little while.
One of the cousins picked some mistletoe and another came back with the lower jaw of a cow which was a big hit. In fact it prompted Bear to tell one of the relatives that hadn't gone all about finding a dead seal and a dead bird on one of our field trips when asked what he saw on this trip!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
NaNoWriMo 2009
Brendan has officially won NaNoWriMo 2009. He met his 1000 word goal and then some. He's even illustrated his book. I am at around 46,000 words and will definitely hit 50,000 before the end of November.
I tried to post his winner image, but I'm having technical difficulties.
I tried to post his winner image, but I'm having technical difficulties.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Things that make you go Hmmmm....
Here is an exerpt from a site I just found:
How often do most kids tantrum? And how long do tantrums generally last? The parents in this study reported that, on average, tantrums lasted for:
* two minutes in one-year-olds
* four minutes in two- to three-year-olds
* five minutes in four-year-olds
and occurred:
* eight times a week for one-year-olds
* nine times a week for two-year-olds
* six times a week for three-year-olds
* five times a week for four-year-olds.
from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/temper_tantrums.html
Now considering that Bear has at least 4 of these short tantrums in addition to one to two mega-tantrums per DAY, something seems a bit out of whack. He's always been like this and we've been hoping he would grow out of it, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I even did a tantrum log of just the mega-tantrums for a week and once I shared that with his pediatrician she referred him on to a group that tests for developmental problems.
We didn't do this earlier because both his pediatrician and I are very non-interventionist in our method of dealing with health care. She told me that his tantrums were severe, but still on the normal scale. It took the tantrum log for us to realize that he might have blown the top off the scale.
I don't want to stick a label on the forehead of a not even three year old kid, but if it will make life any easier for him or us at this point we really have to.
How often do most kids tantrum? And how long do tantrums generally last? The parents in this study reported that, on average, tantrums lasted for:
* two minutes in one-year-olds
* four minutes in two- to three-year-olds
* five minutes in four-year-olds
and occurred:
* eight times a week for one-year-olds
* nine times a week for two-year-olds
* six times a week for three-year-olds
* five times a week for four-year-olds.
from http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/temper_tantrums.html
Now considering that Bear has at least 4 of these short tantrums in addition to one to two mega-tantrums per DAY, something seems a bit out of whack. He's always been like this and we've been hoping he would grow out of it, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I even did a tantrum log of just the mega-tantrums for a week and once I shared that with his pediatrician she referred him on to a group that tests for developmental problems.
We didn't do this earlier because both his pediatrician and I are very non-interventionist in our method of dealing with health care. She told me that his tantrums were severe, but still on the normal scale. It took the tantrum log for us to realize that he might have blown the top off the scale.
I don't want to stick a label on the forehead of a not even three year old kid, but if it will make life any easier for him or us at this point we really have to.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
I'm SO excited!
I just got back from my conference and there was a package waiting for me. Inside of it was the book, "More Weddings, Funerals and Rites of Passage" from the Universla Life Church. What is so exciting is that three of my ceremonies are published in it!
Not only do I have published poetry from when I was younger and one article on shamanism in an international magazine, now I am officially published in a book!
Not only do I have published poetry from when I was younger and one article on shamanism in an international magazine, now I am officially published in a book!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Why I'm so frazzled most of the time
Bear is two years and eight months old now. He knows how to use the computer by himself and has been teaching himself sign language from a neat site called starfall.com. He also just counted up to 13 this morning and helped me read a book the other day not to mention playing Battleship and Bingo (which I think I've mentioned previously).
Wolf is five years and two months. He just finished the 2-3 grade logic book, will be finishing the first grade phonics book in about a month, already finished the first grade science workbook and is over half way through the second grade math book. He also loves chess and Sudoku. Oh and he is almost half-way through his 1000 words for nanowrimo.
Wolf is five years and two months. He just finished the 2-3 grade logic book, will be finishing the first grade phonics book in about a month, already finished the first grade science workbook and is over half way through the second grade math book. He also loves chess and Sudoku. Oh and he is almost half-way through his 1000 words for nanowrimo.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Cub Scout Den Leader
I have decided to become Wolf's Den Leader. Since he's in 1st grade he was able to join Cub Scouts this year in the lowest grade group, Tiger. We now have four Tiger's and two little brothers in our den. I question my sanity with this choice. It's not as though I didn't already have ten million other things needing my time and energy. It's not a commitment of one year, but a commitment to be leader until he graduates up to Boy Scouts at the end of 5th grade.
On top of all that it really is amazing how the attention span of young boys drops exponentially depending on the number of them in a room. Only a couple of things in the den have been broken so far...
On top of all that it really is amazing how the attention span of young boys drops exponentially depending on the number of them in a room. Only a couple of things in the den have been broken so far...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Halloween
Halloween is one of our major holidays. Basically we are in costume and out of the house for most of the day. This year Bear went as a T-Rex Kitty-cat (he insisted). Wolf was Annikin Skywalker. I was a school girl and Dragon went as the Black Knight from Monty Python. It is a costume I made for him several years ago and it always gets rave reviews. As usual all of the costumes were home made or at least home gathered.
We first went to visit a good friend of ours at around 2:30, then off to lunch at Costco with some of our friends. After that we all caravaned down to the Wharf and went trick-or-treating there with some more friends. We ended up with group consisting of a T-Rex Kitty-cat, Annikin, a school girl, a fairy, the Phantom of the Opera, a Renaissance lady, Freakazoid, Awesome Girl and a witch.
It was sort of a shame that they didn't have the costume contest and free pictures this year, but it was still fun.
Next we headed back to Dragon's store, went to the Harvest Festival put on by a local church in the parking lot. The boys got to go down a huge slide, bounce in a bounce house, and play a bunch of carnival games for candy prizes, all for free! They had a great time. We took a quick break to eat something and then Dragon closed the store and we went trick-or-treating in a popular local neighborhood. Much candy was had by all, but Bear wasn't up to the haunted house one family always sets up.
Finally we loaded everyone up into the car and headed down to Pacific Avenue for the HUGE block party that goes on every year for Halloween. The energy is incredible, the costumes are great and it's just plain fun. Wolf was getting a bit tired of it all by that time, but both boys were troopers and we ended up getting home at around 11 pm.
We first went to visit a good friend of ours at around 2:30, then off to lunch at Costco with some of our friends. After that we all caravaned down to the Wharf and went trick-or-treating there with some more friends. We ended up with group consisting of a T-Rex Kitty-cat, Annikin, a school girl, a fairy, the Phantom of the Opera, a Renaissance lady, Freakazoid, Awesome Girl and a witch.
It was sort of a shame that they didn't have the costume contest and free pictures this year, but it was still fun.
Next we headed back to Dragon's store, went to the Harvest Festival put on by a local church in the parking lot. The boys got to go down a huge slide, bounce in a bounce house, and play a bunch of carnival games for candy prizes, all for free! They had a great time. We took a quick break to eat something and then Dragon closed the store and we went trick-or-treating in a popular local neighborhood. Much candy was had by all, but Bear wasn't up to the haunted house one family always sets up.
Finally we loaded everyone up into the car and headed down to Pacific Avenue for the HUGE block party that goes on every year for Halloween. The energy is incredible, the costumes are great and it's just plain fun. Wolf was getting a bit tired of it all by that time, but both boys were troopers and we ended up getting home at around 11 pm.
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